Dual one-way drive carpet sweeper



March 15, 1955 H. MALM 2,703,897

DUAL ONE-WAY DRIVE CARPET SWEEPER Filed May 26, 1951 1e I5 l4 l6 l7 [9 2o 22 25 '24 ea 29 22 25 INVENTOR H EN RY- MR LM v ATTORNEY United States Patent DUAL ONE-WAY DRIVE CARPET SWEEPER Henry Malm, New York, N. Y.

Application May 26, 1951, Serial No. 228,409

6 Claims. (CI. 15-48) This invention relates to what are generally known as carpet sweepers. More particularly, the invention deals with what I term dual one-way drive of the brush element of the sweeper so that the brush is driven in a single direction in both forward and backward motions of the sweeper over a surface. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following descr'ptions, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view diagrammatically showing a sweeper casing and illustrating the drive to the brush element of the sweeper, parts of the construction being broken away; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, I have diagrammatically shown at the casing of a carpet sweeper, the rear end portion of which is contracted, as indicated at 11 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Arranged in the forward portion of the casing is a receptacle 12, having a control cover 13 at the top of the casing, which is indicated in raised position in Fig. l. The receptacle 12 forms part of the framework casing and this framework includes a pair of adjustable supporting arms 14, 14' forming a support for the axis 15 of a brush element 16.

The element 16 extends partially into the forward end of the receptacle 12, the lower portion of the receptacle having a curved and raised wall portion 17, note Fig. 1, for directing the dirt into the receptacle and the forward edge 18 of this wall portion is raised and at 18' is shown a serrated comb-like element to free the brush of entangling strands. The arms 14, 14' have elongated slots, one of which is indicated at 19 in Fig. 1 of the drawing which facilitates adjustment of the axis 15 and bolts 20 are employed to retain the arms in different positions of adjustment.

On the axis 15, at one side of the brush element 16 and inwardly of the arm 14, is a sprocket 21, around which passes a chain 22 and this chain passes around a larger drive sprocket 23 on a shaft 24. The shaft 24 is supported on a pair of rearwardly extending frame members 25 and on this shaft, inwardly of the frame members, are fixed a pair of forward drivers or drive wheels 26.

At the rear portion of the frame members 25 is another shaft 27, on which are fixed reverse drivers or drive wheels 28, which have frictional engagement with the wheels 26. It will be noted, from a consideration of Fig. 1, that the frames 25 have vertically elongated apertures 29 which facilitate vertical movement of the shaft 24 in said frame members. In other words, the drive wheels 26 are movable vertically in the casing and this movement is controlled through two pairs of operating levers, one pair of levers being designated by thereference character 30. These levers are pivoted to the shaft 24 inwardly of the wheels 26, as noted in Fig. 2; whereas, the other pair of levers 31 swing on the shaft 27 inwardly of the wheels 28. Upper ends of the levers 30, 31 are pivoted together by a cross-pin or bar 32, to which the lower end of an operating handle 33 is secured. This handle may have, for example, a split end, as indicated at 34 in Fig. 1, and a clamping bolt 35. With this construction, the handle 33 is free to rotate on the pin axis 32 in the operation of the sweeper. It will be understood ice that the top wall 36 of the casing 10 will have suitable cut-outs, as indicated at 37, for free operation of the levers 30, 31. The operation of the sweeper is as follows.

In the forward movement of the sweeper over a surface, downward pressure on the handle 33 will force the drive wheels 26 into engagement with a supporting surface and frictionally engage said surface to rotate said wheels and correspondingly drive the brush element 16 in an anti-clockwise direction, so as to sweep dust or other particles into the receptacle 12.

In the backward motion of the sweeper, the pull on the handle 33 will draw the wheels 26 upwardly by movement of the axis 24 upwardly in the slots 29, thus the drive wheels 28 will frictionally engage the surface and will cause the drive wheels to operate in a clockwise direction and, by reason of frictional engagement with the drive wheels 26, said wheels are driven in the anti-clockwise direction to again drive the sweeper element 16 in the same anti-clockwise direction.

In the aforesaid movement, it will be understood that the levers 30, 31 swing in the manner indicated in full and dot and dash lines and, in this manner, a single brush element, as at 16, can be actuated to perform sweeping functions in both stroke motions of the sweeper over a surface.

It will be understood that the illustrations in the accompanying drawing are entirely diagrammatic or schematic, particularly with respect to the casing and frame parts without regard for streamlining or design, as would be essential to production of a commercial device.

It will also be understood that, by reason of the frictional engagement between the two sets of drive wheels, these wheels are constantly operating and are intermittently brought into engagement with the supporting surface for the one-way drive of the brush element in the use of the sweeper.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a frame in said casing, the frame including a dust receiving compartment, a brush rotatably mounted in the frame and extending partially into the compartment through an opening in one end thereof, two pairs of friction drive wheels mounted in the frame in spaced relation to said brush, one pair of drive wheels having vertical movement in the frame, said pairs of drive wheels frictionally engaging each other, means for placing one pair of wheels in operative engagement with the brush to drive the brush, two pairs of levers pivoted together above the casing and extending into the casing, one pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of one pair of drive wheels, the other pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of the other pair of drive wheels, and an operating handle pivotally coupled with the pivotal mounting between said pairs of levers whereby, in forward and backward movement of the sweeper over a surface, said brush will be operated constantly in one direction by intermittent drive of the brush through the pairs of drive Wheels.

2. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a frame in said casing, the frame including a dust receiving compartment, 3. brush rotatably mounted in the frame and extending partially into the compartment through an opening in one end thereof, two pairs of friction drive wheels mounted in the frame in spaced relation to said brush, one pair of drive wheels having vertical movement in the frame, said pairs of drive wheels frictionally engaging each other, means for placing one pair of wheels in operative engagement with the brush to drive the brush, two pairs of levers pivoted together above the casing and extending into the casing, one pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of one pair of drive wheels, the other pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of the other pair of drive wheels, an operating handle pivotally coupled with the pivotal mounting between said pairs of levers whereby, in forward and backward movement of the sweeper over a surface, said brush will be operated constantly in one direction by intermittent drive of the brush through the pairs of drive wheels, and said levers operating to raise and lower the vertically movable drive wheels into and out of frictional engagement with the surface, over which the sweeper is moved.

3. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a frame in said casing, the frame including a dust receiving compartment, a brush rotatably mounted in the frame and extending partially into the compartment through an opening in one end thereof, two pairs of friction drive wheels mounted in the frame in spaced relation to said brush, one pair of drive wheels having vertical movement in the frame, said pairs of drive wheels frictionally engaging each other, means for placing one pair of wheels in operative engagement with the brush to drive the brush, two pairs of levers pivoted together above the casing and extending into the casing, one pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of one pair of drive wheels, the other pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of the other pair of drive wheels, an operating handle pivotally coupled with the pivotal mounting between said pairs of levers whereby, in forward and backward movement of the sweeper over a surface, said brush will be operated constantly in one direction by intermittent drive of the brush through the pairs of drive wheels, said levers operating to raise and lower the vertically movable drive wheels into and out of frictional engagement with the surface, over which the sweeper is moved, and said compartment and the casing having a cover controlling access to said compartment.

4. A carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a frame in said casing, the frame including a dust receiving compartment; a brushrotatably mounted in the frame and extending partially into the compartment through an opening in one end thereof, two pairs of friction drive wheels mounted in the frame in spaced relation to said brush, one pair of drive wheels having vertical movement in the frame, said pairs of drive wheels frictionally engaging each other, means for placing one pair of wheels in operative engagement with the brush to drive the brush, two pairs of levers pivoted together above the casing and extending into the casing, one pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of one pair of drive wheels, the other pair of levers being mounted on a shaft of the other pair of drive wheels, an operating handle pivotally coupled with the pivotal mounting between said pairs of levers whereby, in forward and backward movement of the sweeper over a surface, said brush will be operated constantly in one direction by intermittent drive of the brush through the pairs of drive wheels, said levers operating to raise and lower the vertically movable drive wheels into and out of frictional engagement with the surface, over which the sweeper is moved, and means adjusting the brush toward and from one of said pairs of drive wheels.

5. A carpet sweeper of the character described, comprising a casing, a brush rotatably mounted in the casing, means comprising two drive wheels arranged and aligned longitudinally of the casing for actuating said brush continuously in one direction in movement of the sweeper in both directions over a surface to be swept, means comprising a chain for placing one drive wheel in constant operative engagement with said brush, said drive wheels being adapted to frictionally engage each other and the surface in actuating said brush, said one drive wheel only being movable toward and from the surface, and means including an operating handle for actuating the movable drive wheel into and out of engagement with said surface.

6. A carpet sweeper of the character described, comprising a casing, a brush rotatably mounted in the casing, means comprising two drive wheels arranged and aligned longitudinally of the casing for actuating said brush continuously in one direction in movement of the sweeper in both directions over a surface to be swept, means comprising a chain for placing one drive wheel in constant operative engagement with said brush, said drive wheels being adapted to frictionally engage each other and the surface in actuating said brush, said one drive wheel only being movable toward and from the surface, means including an operating handle for actuating the movable drive wheel into and out of engagement with said surface, and said brush being adjustable toward and from said movable drive wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 173,582 Breckenridge Feb. 16, 1876 642,172 Sweitzer Ian. 30, 1900 1,417,768 Radimak May 30, 1922 2,302,275 Thiele Nov. 17, 1942 

